Visa is closing in on its 52-week high, and now we know why.
The payments giant reported third-quarter earnings on Tuesday after the bell, posting adjusted earnings per share of $2.98 — beating analyst expectations of $2.83. That’s a 23% jump from the same period last year, when earnings stood at $2.42 per share.
Revenue also surged to $10.17 billion, topping the $9.82 billion forecast and marking a 14% year-over-year increase from $8.9 billion. The jump came on the back of strong growth in payments volume (up 8%), cross-border volume (up 12%), and processed transactions (up 10%).
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“Visa delivered another strong quarter, with 14% net revenue growth, 12% GAAP EPS growth and 23% non-GAAP EPS growth,” said CEO Ryan McInerney in a statement. “Healthy business driver trends continued through the quarter and into the first few weeks of July.”
McInerney credited ongoing consumer strength in both discretionary and non-discretionary spending for the strong numbers and emphasized Visa’s focus on what comes next.
“Looking ahead, our continued focus on innovation and product development in dynamic areas like AI and stablecoins is helping to shape the future of commerce while delivering sustainable, long-term value for our shareholders,” he added.
That mention of stablecoins — arguably one of the hottest trends in payments innovation — signals that Visa is keeping close tabs on how digital assets could reshape global commerce. While McInerney didn’t specify any new initiatives, his remark adds to previous efforts by Visa to explore stablecoin settlement on blockchains like Solana and Ethereum.
This month, the GENIUS Act was officially passed, marking a major milestone in U.S. digital asset regulation by providing federal recognition and legal clarity for stablecoins.
Visa stock was down 1.1% in after-hours trading at $346.44 at the time of writing, but the market may still be digesting the news — and especially the implications of where Visa is placing its next big bets.
